The Kindergarten Awakening
Ever since I started hanging out with Sia, I no longer dreaded going to kindergarten.
Of course, she would show up on her own and drag me along for playtime, but to a kid like me, that felt like the most exciting thing in the world.
At first I used to throw a tantrum about not wanting to go, but after switching classes around week two, I slowly started to calm down. By the time a month had passed, Mom finally noticed I was actually looking forward to kindergarten.
“Hey, son, it seems like you’re excited about kindergarten lately. What’s going on?” Mom asked one evening.
“Huh? Nah… nothing much.” I shrugged, trying to play it cool.
“Hmm… this smells fishy.” She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“No, it’s not! Really!” I insisted, crossing my arms.
“Okay, okay, Mom’s sorry. Come on, let’s get you to kindergarten.”
I took Mom’s hand and climbed into the car. Dad had already left for work, and Mom dropped me off at kindergarten before heading straight to her own office.
As the car pulled away, I watched it from the back seat, staring out the window.
Normally I would have hated this drive, but now the thought of kindergarten actually made my little heart flutter with excitement.
The same familiar route unfolded every day.
When we finally arrived, Mom handed me over to the teacher and waved goodbye. She was off to work in no time.
I caught one last glimpse of the car disappearing down the street before heading inside with the teacher to our classroom.
The moment I stepped into the kindergarten class, I found the other kids already scattered around playing.
After a month, I had become friendly with a few of the new kids. Thanks to Sia, I was slowly getting the hang of things.
But there was one catch—I still hadn’t made enough close friends. And Sia was right there in the middle of it.
First, there were the kids who seemed to form her little fan club. Since Sia spent more time with me, they started getting jealous and eventually took it out on me.
I’d be playing alone when suddenly they’d come over and act mean, like they couldn’t stand me. The teacher usually stepped in, but I still hadn’t had enough time to fully integrate.
Second, Sia herself was the reason. The second I tried to befriend another kid, she would suddenly appear out of nowhere, make a fuss, and insist we play together.
At first I’d stubbornly refuse, but she was so persistent that I eventually gave in. She was especially bossy when it came to playing with the girls.
The worst part? Our class had way more girls than boys. The principal had decided that putting too many boys near Sia could cause problems, so they kept the quiet, non-threatening boys grouped together.
That strategy had actually worked. The shy boys stuck together around Sia, and because their group was so tight-knit, I had a hard time melting into it.
Recently, a few of those boys had even started ignoring me whenever Sia was around.
So I ended up only close to a small group of boys, and even then, I was only second priority to them. If Sia wasn’t there, I was basically on my own more than I’d like.
That’s why I was usually stacking blocks by myself when…
“Hey, what are you doing alone?” Sia appeared and immediately started playing with me.
“Is this fun?” she asked, tilting her head.
“Um… yeah…” I mumbled.
“Che, that’s not very fun… Let’s play together.” She pushed me toward the blocks.
Or if not that, she’d drag me outside.
Either way, after a while it became clear that Sia wasn’t just showing interest anymore—she basically wanted to play with me all the time.
I got curious why she had so many friends around and why she spent so much time with me. One day I asked her straight up.
“It’s just… because you’re easier.” Sia replied casually.
“Me? In what way?” I asked, confused.
“They get annoying if I don’t play with them. So I avoid that hassle by hanging with you instead.” She grinned.
“Those girls are the ones forming her little group, aren’t they?” I realized.
“Exactly. And they always nag me to stop playing with you, so it’s easier to just come over here instead.” Sia shrugged.
“…” I stared at her, a little stunned.
“Anyway, let’s go outside!” she cheered, grabbing my hand.
As we walked out together, I felt a warm, happy feeling in my chest.
I was only a little kid, and being in a new place felt scary. But being alone was even worse.
Yet, stepping into a group I already knew was tough. Sia was the first one who came over and invited me to play. She was bold and confident, and I loved that about her.
She had made the first move when I had no friends of my own. That was why, somehow, Sia and I had become best friends at kindergarten.
We played together, ate together, everything. The teacher and principal loved watching us.
“Si-woo has really adapted. I’m so happy for him.” Mrs. Park smiled.
“You’re right… Sia’s smiling more too.” Mr. Lee chuckled.
“That’s true. Before, he always looked a little tired, but now he’s always laughing with Sia.” Mrs. Park sighed happily.
“Thank goodness. It’s all thanks to Sia.” Mr. Lee nodded.
“Maybe we should let the guardians know?” Mrs. Park suggested.
“I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry, Ms. Kim.” Mr. Lee waved her off.
“Thank you.” Mom said gratefully.
Mom was thrilled that I was doing well. The principal was happy to be able to tell my worried parents that I was adjusting perfectly.
As we walked home together, Mom suddenly gave me a meaningful smile.
“Hey, son, are you having fun at kindergarten lately?” she asked.
“Uh…?” I blinked in surprise.
“You haven’t been saying you hate kindergarten anymore.” Mom pointed out.
“Just… uh…” I stammered.
“Just? Come on, spill it!” Mom pressed.
When we got home, the arguing continued until Dad arrived.
“Honey, guess what I heard today?” Dad asked, right after getting home.
“What is it?” Mom turned to him.
“Si-woo made a new friend at kindergarten!” Dad announced.
“Really? That’s wonderful!” Mom clapped her hands.
Dad was the first to react. The two of them bombarded me with questions once he was home.
“Is kindergarten fun now?” Dad asked.
“How many friends do you have?” Mom added.
“Uh… a few…” I shrugged, trying to play it down.
But Dad smirked. “I heard from the teacher that there’s a girl who plays with Si-woo.”
“Really? That’s great! We were so worried you weren’t adapting at first.” Mom fretted.
“Yeah, I’d love to meet her and her parents someday.” Mom smiled dreamily.
“And apparently Si-woo is the one who went up to her first?” Dad raised an eyebrow.
“Actually, I heard she approached him.” Mom corrected.
“Oho… that’s my son for you.” Dad laughed proudly.
My parents had already heard the full story from the teacher, and they were thrilled I had finally made a friend.
They were even happier that Sia had been the one to make the first move.
“Hello, teacher~ We’re here to pick up Si-woo.” Mom greeted at the gate.
“Welcome back, Mrs. Lee.” The teacher smiled.
Mom had come to pick me up today, which made me really happy—usually she only picked me up an hour after I got home.
“Wow, Si-woo, you look so happy!” she said, patting my head.
“Of course, I played with Sia all day today too. Right, Si-woo?” Mom teased.
“Y-yeah…” I nodded, a little embarrassed.
“A~ Is Sia here today?” Mom suddenly asked, scanning the playground.
“Yeah, she’s sitting over there.” I pointed.
“Where…? Oh, the girl with the red ribbon?” Mom’s eyes lit up.
“That’s her.” I confirmed.
“Oh my~ She’s so beautiful. Si-woo must be thrilled.” Mom sighed with a tiny bit of jealousy.
“…” I stayed quiet, sensing the mood.
“Mom, let’s go home.” I tugged her sleeve.
“Okay, okay. Let’s go eat tonkatsu tonight!” Mom cheered.
“…” I followed, wondering why she suddenly wanted to eat out.
I realized my parents were more excited about Sia than they were about me. Even though they were happy I had a friend, deep down I knew they would’ve preferred Sia if given the choice.
The tonkatsu we ate together was delicious, but a strange, unsettled feeling lingered in my chest.
The next day at kindergarten, I wasn’t stacking blocks like usual. I just sat there, holding one in my hand and staring at it.
Suddenly Sia appeared beside me.
“Why are you here by yourself?” she asked.
“Just… doing nothing.” I muttered.
“Why are you alone?” Sia repeated, not buying it.
“What’s up with you?” I snapped back, feeling annoyed.
“I’m not eating beans. You eat them.” Sia said bluntly.
She kept pestering me about what was wrong, refusing to leave my side.
“Fine, I’ll tell you then… but promise you won’t freak out.” I finally gave in.
“Our moms should call too!” Sia’s eyes widened in surprise.
The conversation had taken a weird turn.